The Christmas Consternation
by chasingballoons
Summary: Amy wonders what's wrong with Sheldon when he begins to avoid and ignore her. Little does she know that he is planning something big...
1. Chapter 1

_**I was feeling festive so decided to write a Christmas themed fic!**  
 **Sheldon is avoiding Amy and she doesn't know why**_

"Would you like to come Christmas shopping with me later today?"

"No thank you"

"Okay, well I was thinking of attending a lecture on Experimental Methods of Adjustable Tetrode Array Neurophysiology tomorrow. Would you like to join me?"

"Sorry, I have other arrangements tomorrow"

"Oh you'll like this. I heard there was a…."

But Amy was cut off as Sheldon cleared his throat, "Sorry Amy I have to go. Goodbye"

And with that, the screen in front of her minimised and with it, her boyfriend's face disappeared.

Amy sat back in her chair. That was very odd, even for Sheldon. She knew he wasn't much into Christmas and the whole present-buying ritual but did he really just pass up on the chance to attend such an intriguing lecture? Although neuroscience was not a particular interest of Sheldon's, he never failed to chaperone her, fully equipped with horrific questions prepared in aim of perplexing the lecturer.

Amy's frown cleared as a small smile flashed across her face in memory of how Sheldon always enjoyed displaying his intellectual dominance. This however, did not last long as her concerned look quickly returned.

She decided to seek guidance from Penny.

* * *

"I don't know what's happening but he's definitely trying to avoid me" Amy had told Penny the whole story, "He's been acting like this for a while and won't tell me what's wrong"

"He's probably getting stressed over some theory at work. Maybe it's Stuart's new opening times? Or, perhaps it's because Leonard found a dead fly in the fridge yesterday!" Penny smiled as she remembered Sheldon's reaction to the thought of pests and parasites contaminating his food.

Amy shook her head, "Actually there is something I thought might be worrying him"

"What's that then?" Penny asked, putting a handful of popcorn into her mouth.

"Well, the thing is, all this started the day after my birthday"

Penny looked confused. Amy raised her eyebrows and tilted her head forward, trying to see if Penny understood what she was saying. Finally, there was light in Penny's eyes as she realised the significance of that date.

"You think he's acting like this because you two slept together?" She opened her mouth wide, shocked at what Amy was saying, "Ames, I'm sure that's not it. He's barely been able to stop talking about it since"

"Really?" Amy seemed to relax slightly as if some of the stress had physically left her body.

"Definitely" Penny assured her, "What made you think that?"

"Well, it's just that Sheldon started acting weird a couple of days after. He seemed to enjoy what we did, he stayed at my apartment all of the next day. Ever since then I haven't really seen him. It's just been quick video chats or phone calls. I'm worried he's regretting it"

Amy's eyes looked down to the ground as if she was ashamed of herself, it was her fault that Sheldon was not satisfied and worrying, she had pushed him too far.

"Amy. I know what that look is. This is 100% not your fault and it's not even true. Even if _you_ haven't heard much from Sheldon, _I've_ heard _a lot_ and he does not regret _anything_. Seriously, he came home afterwards grinning like a Cheshire cat. He loves you"

"Well if that's not the reason he's been avoiding me, then what is?" Amy asked, exasperated and tired. Figuring out Sheldon was always a chore. She wanted nothing more than to go back in time to the night of her birthday when everything just seemed to make sense.

"I don't know" Penny replied, her eyes squinted in suspicion, "But I'm going to find out"

* * *

"Don't you think Amy's beginning to suspect something?" Leonard asked Sheldon from his desk.

Sheldon was sat in his spot, laptop on his knees, "Please Leonard! I think I did a pretty good job of covering my tracks. Didn't you hear me earlier? I refused all of her invitations. I think I'm getting much better at lying" Sheldon proudly closed his laptop and stood to make his way to the kitchen.

"Buddy, I'm not sure avoiding her is the best way to do this. You'll have to face her eventually"

"Yes obviously I know that, stop pointing out the obvious" Sheldon rolled his eyes, "But I'm not quite ready yet. I need more time and more planning"

"I know you're worried but don't let it get to you. You don't want to give it away" Leonard offered his advice, knowing how bad Sheldon truly was at lying.

Sheldon was about to counteract until the door to the apartment flew open and Penny marched in.

"Sheldon Lee Cooper, what the hell are you doing? Amy's just been here worried sick that she's done something to make you upset. She thinks it's all her fault that you've been acting completely ridiculous, more so than usual. Tell her what is wrong or you'll lose her again. I know for a fact that you are completely and utterly in love with her so why are you avoiding her?"

Penny was now face to face with Sheldon, only the bottle of water he was holding was in between them for protection. Leonard had swivelled in his chair, leaving his work to watch Sheldon squirm under the intense gaze of his wife and the shock of being shouted at.

"Told you" Leonard smirked, "Amy noticed how weird you've been"

Sheldon gulped but was not intimidated by Penny, "Yes, well I suppose she of all people would be able to decipher me. Although I thought my acting was pretty good!" He smiled to himself.

"Guys! Answer my questions! What's going on? Why have you been acting weird and avoiding Amy?" Penny pressed for answers, partly to help her friend but she was also a little curious too.

Sheldon looked across to Leonard as if searching for advice.

"It's okay. I think you should tell her" Leonard nodded.

"Tell me what? What is going on?" Penny was beginning to get exasperated and angry. What was such a secret that they couldn't tell her?

"Very well" Sheldon replaced the lid to his water and turned to place it on the island behind him. He turned to face Penny again and took a deep breath.

"I plan on proposing to Amy"

 _ **Thank you for reading and reviewing!  
By the way, I had to google Amy's lecture title and I'm sorry if it's wrong or doesn't exist :P**_


	2. Chapter 2

It was Leonard and Penny's fault that he was here in this situation. Sheldon liked to be in control; he liked planning and consistency and being in his comfort zone. That's why it's called the _comfort_ zone isn't it? Penny and Leonard had insisted that he spend some time with Amy. There was now only two days until Christmas and he hadn't seen her for five days. To Sheldon, that was perfectly acceptable, as far as she was aware he may be busy. It was true that he had missed her terribly. Scenes from their night together flashed through his mind, causing him to pine for her. Although they had spent time apart before, especially since their break up, this time it was different however. He wanted to see her, Sheldon couldn't bear to be apart from her but equally he knew that his ticks would give up the game. How was he expected to keep his secret?

Leonard and Penny had organised for Amy to join them all for dinner, assuring Sheldon that they would be there to help him avoid certain subjects or revealing any information. This gave Sheldon some assurance, but did not treat his discomfort and was still worried.

He wouldn't be able to see her without being distracted, he was sure to expose himself. His anxiety was stewing inside him, making him stressed. Usually Amy was the one he would go to in times like this. She was always so understanding and gave excellent advice. He trusted her. He would always be comforted by her mere presence, but now he was agitated and panicking. She would surely be able to tell something was wrong. Maybe he should cancel?

But it was too late to change his mind as at that moment there was a knock on the door.

The room fell into silence. Sheldon stood frozen with Leonard and Penny simply watching him.

"Go on. Answer it" Leonard pressed.

Sheldon nodded, took a deep breath and went to open the door.

Amy beamed up at him, her eyes sparkled behind the red frames of her glasses which matched the scarlet clip in her hair. She looked ravishing as always, this was going to be a lot harder than Sheldon had originally thought. There was a reason he had been avoiding Amy and this was it. There was something about her glistening smile that attracted Sheldon to her, it was if her whole personality and everything he loved about her was reflected in that smile. He wanted to make her happy. He wanted her to smile like that forever. The surprise must remain a surprise. Sheldon had a new found sense of determination when seeing her, he wanted to make this special for her and it was definitely going to be.

"Hello" she greeted.

"Hello, please come in" Sheldon gestured inside and stepped back to let her in. He has promised himself that he wouldn't kiss her, he couldn't touch her, it wouldn't help him at all. However, he couldn't help himself and as Amy walked past, he placed a chaste and cheeky kiss on top of her head.

That small touch was enough to know that he had made a mistake. This was the first time he had seen her in person since that night. With a simple kiss, memories came flooding back. The way they had moved together, learnt together, cared for each other. It had been a magical night. Nothing would ever compare. How was he going to withstand the rest of the evening supressing that sudden lurch in his chest and the butterflies in his stomach that insisted on striking him every time she laughed or smiled or even from the shy touches?

Luckily, Amy had simply smiled to herself without turning around. She was optimistic, the innocent kiss was enough to tell her everything was okay. There was hope. However, she had decided to give Sheldon some space, he obviously needed it, and she suspected that Penny had something to do with this sudden arrangement. Amy went to find her in the kitchen.

"Well?" Amy whispered, "What was the matter? Did you find anything out?"

"Yes, I wouldn't worry. He was just a bit stressed with work" Penny lied, she avoided eye contact by concentrating on pouring a glass of wine, trying not to reveal too much.

"Oh, that's odd. He usually mentions things like that" Amy's face crinkled in confusion but soon relaxed into a small smile, "He's seems okay tonight though. He even kissed me on the way in" Her eyelids fluttered, causing Penny to laugh.

Amy giggled in response, she was clearly relieved, before the girls went to join the boys who had sat down in front of a large pizza.

Amy sat next to Sheldon who had evidently sat in his spot. Penny sat in the armchair and Leonard had pulled up a chair to sit next to her. Small talk ensued, prominently about work and family.

Conversation turned to Christmas, Sheldon's face twitched slightly under the pressure of maintaining his composure, knowing what he had planned for that specific day.

Although Sheldon claimed that he hated Christmas, Amy knew he did not really. He and Leonard often had a tree, lights and a little festive spirit, even if it was _Star Trek_ themed.

"Do you not have any decorations up?" Amy looked around in confusion.

Sheldon felt food lodge in his throat. A million possible answers to her question raced through his head. Panic caused them all to vanish. He stuttered and the twitching worsened.

Luckily, Leonard saw his struggle and quickly stepped in to help.

"Well, seeing as I'm living with Penny half the time now, we thought it would make more sense to decorate hers instead. Plus, Sheldon doesn't really like Christmas" He reasoned.

Amy looked deeply bewildered as she looked from Leonard to Penny to Sheldon, all of whom were slowly nodding their heads and avoiding eye contact, agreeing with each other before Penny changed the subject.

It all seemed very odd to Amy, but she couldn't tell what it was.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Third and final chapter. Sheldon finally reveals his secret...**_

Christmas day arrived. Amy had agreed to meet the whole gang at Sheldon's apartment for 2 o'clock, ready for lunch. That meant she had the morning to shower, get dressed, phone her mother and wrap some last- minute presents.

Meanwhile, Sheldon's apartment was empty. No one was there.

At least, this is also what Amy assumed when, after a quick drive, she knocked on the door of apartment 4A. No one came to answer it. She tried the handle, it was locked. Amy was perplexed, it was exactly 2 o'clock, she was right on time. Where was everybody?

Just as she pulled out her phone, a door opened behind her.

Amy turned to find Penny coming out of her apartment. She was dressed in a short red cocktail dress with a black shawl draped over her shoulders for warmth.

"Penny! Where is everyone? I just…"

Amy was cut off as Penny placed a finger to her lips, "Shh, come with me"

And with that, Penny turned and climbed up the stairs.

Amy, although baffled, could do nothing but follow.

* * *

"Penny! Seriously where are we going?" Amy searched for any possible information. They were still climbing the building, possibly nearing the top by now.

"What part of shhh didn't you understand?" Penny repeated herself, and continued up the stairs.

Finally, they reached a door.

Penny turned to face Amy. There was quite a contrast to Amy's suspicious, watchful gaze and Penny's sparkling, excited smile.

"Are you ready?" She asked.

"For what?" Amy had had enough of all the secrecy.

He questions, however, were answered as Penny opened the door and led Amy through it.

They were on the roof.

The winter weather meant that dusk was already falling, bleak clouds blanketed the sky. Minuscule yellow stars peaked through, and although they were faint, the fading sunlight bounced off the sky's veil, casting pink and orange tones over the roof. The roof itself was very different. Amy's eyes surveyed the scene.

It was aglow with millions of tiny, twinkling lights. Small candles in jars covered the floor and strings of fairy lights were draped along the walls.

There was a single pathway left between and, at the end, stood all her friends either side of Sheldon.

He was wearing a black suit with a thin black tie and shiny black shoes to match. His hands were held together in front of him.

Amy had no idea what to think. Penny had rotated to look at Amy and the astounded expression on her face.

It was just beautiful. The lights spread into the night sky, it was difficult to tell where the lights ended and the stars began.

Penny linked arms with Amy and led her down the pathway that had been left for them. As they walked, Amy couldn't help but connect the scene to that of walking down the aisle at her wedding. She hoped it would be as magical as this.

They reached the end and met the others. Amy's arm was released and Sheldon took her hand. He brought her to face him.

Amy could see all the lights reflected in his eyes. They made them sparkle, shades of blue amalgamated around his pupils, much like the night sky. She had always admired his eyes, the bright azure had somehow darkened, small flecks of indigo danced inside the deep sky blue. It reminded Amy of a black hole in the midst of the universe, with a gravitational field so intense that she was immediately drawn to them.

Amy blinked and refocused on Sheldon as he had squeezed her hand, taken a deep breath and began to talk calmly and slowly, he seemed so content, so peaceful.

"Amy. Almost six years ago I didn't want love. I thought it was a nuisance that distracted people from the important things in life such as the search for knowledge. To me, love didn't really exist. It could not be scientifically proven accurately and that made me sceptical. I once asked my Meemaw what love was and she said she couldn't explain it; she could only feel it. That was the first time she had ever been speechless, there was no sassy comment or intelligent response. She just said I would have to wait and see"

He gulped and blinked back tears.

"I told her I didn't need to wait. I could see the love between Meemaw and Pop Pop. I could see it; I just didn't want it. Their love was an exception. I didn't think I would ever have anything as special as that. Years went past, everyone one I loved left me and all I ever heard was how annoying, arrogant and emotionless I was. My vision of love was tainted by hatred. I wish I had focused on the positive relationships in my life and learnt from them"

He sniffed and took her other hand.

"But then you came along"

He smiled, squeezed her hands and stepped closer. The onlookers smiled. Leonard had Penny wrapped under his arm, Bernadette searched for Howards hand, she knew it was coming, and Raj had tears pouring down his face.

"Amy, you changed my life. I didn't think I needed love but now I know I can't live without it. I know what love is. It's you. You are the only person who understands me, you're patient, you're caring, you're intelligent and you're beautiful. I know I'm a difficult person to love but you have helped me to grow and understand my feelings. My life is so much better now that you're in it and I want to spend every single day proving that. All I can say is thank you, well, thank you and…"

He knelt down onto one knee and produced a velvet ring box from his pocket which he prised open to reveal a glittering, antique engagement ring.

"Amy Farrah Fowler, will you marry me?"

There was silence.

The tea lights flickered as a small breath of wind sailed over the roof.

Everyone was holding their breath, waiting for Amy's answer.

Time seemed to pass so slowly when realistically it was only a few seconds before Amy gave her answer.

She was definite.

"Yes"

 _ **Thank you for reading, reviewing and all your support! :D**_


End file.
